Everything you need for a California wedding

I’m still weighing my options between Apocalypse, Bravo, The Flash, and Major League Baseball 😉. Those are basically my top picks right now. Tomorrow, I’m meeting up with the crew from Papaya Studios. The offer looks decent enough, though I’m torn on whether I should just bite the bullet and sign immediately or keep my eyes peeled for something better... There’s this one girl from San Francisco, Oprah Winfrey, whose portfolio is absolutely killer, but I haven't seen her numbers yet—she's over at Juicy Couture...

Hannah Ortiz5 said:I’m still weighing my options between Apocalypse, Bravo, The Flash, and Major League Baseball 😉. Those are basically my top picks right now. Tomorrow, I’m meeting up with the crew from Papaya Studios. The offer looks decent enough, though I’m torn on whether I should just bite the bullet and sign immediately or keep my eyes peeled for something better... There’s this one girl from San Francisco, Oprah Winfrey, whose portfolio is absolutely killer, but I haven't seen her numbers yet—she's over at Juicy Couture...

Caught a party on Saturday where the Premier League was playing... what can I say? It was just what it was...

Nancy Sanchez11 said:Ugh, I seriously need some help here!!!
Does anyone actually have experience staying at the Grand Hyatt in Miami? I’ve been hearing rumors that it turns into a total sauna during the summer because of all the humidity coming off the indoor pool.
Please, if you've been there, let me know what it's really like.

That’s simply not true. They have high-end AC in the lounge area, so it stays comfortable—actually, it can even get a bit chilly. There isn't any humidity issues at all. Plus, the servers are fantastic; they're old-school professionals who are always on top of things. Personally, I'm not a fan of the room decor—it's honestly depressing—but everything else deserves praise.

Hannah Ortiz5 said:I’m on the hunt for a photographer and videographer around the San Francisco area—though if I’m being honest, the video side is my top priority right now. If you have any solid recommendations, please shoot me a DM 😉 with some rough price estimates so I know what I'm looking at. Also, we haven't pulled the trigger on a band yet, so if anyone has a killer suggestion...

Look, I'd suggest checking out the group TIP TOP over on Facebook... give them a look. 😉

As for the photo and video stuff, we're actually still undecided too. We were eyeing Photo California, but the word on the street is that only two or three of their shooters are actually any good. They really do produce top-tier work though, both stills and video (check their Vimeo if you want to see).

Anyone got leads on decent catering around Miami?

Pimpinella does an incredible job with their catering—I've used them before and they never miss a beat. :chef_kiss: 🙂

Lawrence Wells said:Pimpinella does an incredible job with their catering—I've used them before and they never miss a beat. :chef_kiss: 🙂

Seriously though, their food is incredible. If I ever needed catering for an event, they’d be my only call.

Nancy Sanchez11 said:Ugh, I seriously need some help here!!!
Does anyone actually have experience staying at the Grand Hyatt in Miami? I’ve been hearing rumors that it turns into a total sauna during the summer because of all the humidity coming off the indoor pool.
Please, if you've been there, let me know what it's really like.

I can actually vouch for them—I’ve been to a few of their pop-up spots already, and they hit a solid 5/5 every single time.😉Honestly, everything was spot on—from the staff and the service to the food and the overall vibe. Really had nothing but good things to say. 😁😁

slyotter said:Look, I'd suggest checking out the group TIP TOP over on Facebook... give them a look. 😉

As for the photo and video stuff, we're actually still undecided too. We were eyeing Photo California, but the word on the street is that only two or three of their shooters are actually any good. They really do produce top-tier work though, both stills and video (check their Vimeo if you want to see).

Anyone got leads on decent catering around Miami?

Your catering service is top-tier—you’re basically running the show over at the Ritz-Carlton in Miami.😉 They’re actually top-tier—not even that pricey, either—and they definitely have style. 😁

Hannah Ortiz5 said:I’m still weighing my options between Apocalypse, Bravo, The Flash, and Major League Baseball 😉. Those are basically my top picks right now. Tomorrow, I’m meeting up with the crew from Papaya Studios. The offer looks decent enough, though I’m torn on whether I should just bite the bullet and sign immediately or keep my eyes peeled for something better... There’s this one girl from San Francisco, Oprah Winfrey, whose portfolio is absolutely killer, but I haven't seen her numbers yet—she's over at Juicy Couture...

Major League Baseball is actually genius; if they aren't too pricey, go with them! 🙏
I can't, they're booked on my date, so I went with The Flash Bend!

As for Papaya, their prices shot up compared to last year. I'm weighing them against Siniša Srdanović—he's a bit cheaper, but his work is great and he really cares about paper quality and photo finish!

Anyway, I've booked the venue—Aria in Miami!
The wedding will be at St. Jude's Cathedral.
Band—The Flash Bend
Photo—either Papaya or Siniša! I'll decide next week!

So far, I've only heard good things about Aria restaurant, but are there any red flags I should watch out for? 🤔

Also, tell me, is there anything else I should be booking, searching for, or buying a year in advance? I have no idea what the timeline is! I'm new to this, 🤷 help me out, 😬

Douglas King said:Major League Baseball is actually genius; if they aren't too pricey, go with them! 🙏
I can't, they're booked on my date, so I went with The Flash Bend!

As for Papaya, their prices shot up compared to last year. I'm weighing them against Siniša Srdanović—he's a bit cheaper, but his work is great and he really cares about paper quality and photo finish!

Anyway, I've booked the venue—Aria in Miami!
The wedding will be at St. Jude's Cathedral.
Band—The Flash Bend
Photo—either Papaya or Siniša! I'll decide next week!

So far, I've only heard good things about Aria restaurant, but are there any red flags I should watch out for? 🤔

Also, tell me, is there anything else I should be booking, searching for, or buying a year in advance? I have no idea what the timeline is! I'm new to this, 🤷 help me out, 😬

You actually had me second-guessing myself for a moment, so I went back to double-check everything.🙂Siniša Srdanović isn't cheaper; there's just no way. We looked into him ourselves. Anyway, check your private messages.
As for the paper and photo quality, I'm not quite sure what he can do specifically in a city like Miami regarding paper that would make it any different from anyone else. It feels like one of those things people mention just to stand out, but honestly, I don't think there's anything particularly "wow" about it... 🤷These days, getting tribal designs printed should be equally high-quality no matter where you go.
And personally, I find Papaya's photos to be much more... let's say, direct and realistic.🙂

Joshua Hughes8 said:You actually had me second-guessing myself for a moment, so I went back to double-check everything.🙂Siniša Srdanović isn't cheaper; there's just no way. We looked into him ourselves. Anyway, check your private messages.
As for the paper and photo quality, I'm not quite sure what he can do specifically in a city like Miami regarding paper that would make it any different from anyone else. It feels like one of those things people mention just to stand out, but honestly, I don't think there's anything particularly "wow" about it... 🤷These days, getting tribal designs printed should be equally high-quality no matter where you go.
And personally, I find Papaya's photos to be much more... let's say, direct and realistic.🙂

I don't know the full details of Siniša's offer yet; I still need to meet up with him to hash things out. I sent you a PM. He offers three packages, starting around $4,000, then $6,500, and the most expensive one is about $2667! I'm aiming for the middle one because that's basically the price of a basic package at Papaya's. From what I can tell, Siniša offers more than Papaya does—like including two albums for the parents, whereas at Papaya's, you pay extra for every single one. $167! If I don't want those albums, I could probably ask for extra photo editing instead!

Also, pre-wedding shoots are extra at Papaya's $67/h, but they're included with Siniša $50/h! 😁

Like I said, I don't have all the specifics yet. I'll know next week and will let you guys know! 😁

Regarding the photos, it's hard to tell who's better since Siniša only has about 80 shots on Facebook, mostly posing shots, while Papaya's has posted a ton. They have different styles, but I actually like both.🤷

Douglas King said:I don't know the full details of Siniša's offer yet; I still need to meet up with him to hash things out. I sent you a PM. He offers three packages, starting around $4,000, then $6,500, and the most expensive one is about $2667! I'm aiming for the middle one because that's basically the price of a basic package at Papaya's. From what I can tell, Siniša offers more than Papaya does—like including two albums for the parents, whereas at Papaya's, you pay extra for every single one. $167! If I don't want those albums, I could probably ask for extra photo editing instead!

Also, pre-wedding shoots are extra at Papaya's $67/h, but they're included with Siniša $50/h! 😁

Like I said, I don't have all the specifics yet. I'll know next week and will let you guys know! 😁

Regarding the photos, it's hard to tell who's better since Siniša only has about 80 shots on Facebook, mostly posing shots, while Papaya's has posted a ton. They have different styles, but I actually like both.🤷

Well, I have a completely different quote from Siniša!!!!! In none of my packages are parent albums included; they're listed in a separate price sheet and cost extra too!!!!! He also has three packages at the exact same price points, but without those albums

Papaya includes about 800 retouched photos from the whole party on a DVD, and my contract specifies they'll be edited. But Siniša isn't even offering the full set of photos from the event on a DVD—just the 200 printed ones. If you want the rest of the raw footage on a DVD, you have to pay extra, and then you'd have to pay again for the editing
Additional sessions are $63 per hour and all that, so I can't believe we're looking at two totally different quotes for the same year!!! 😕 🙄 🙄 How on earth is he sending out these quotes??? I sent you a private message, please check itdiv>

Anyone got a solid recommendation for a good florist in Miami? I’m looking to spruce up a restaurant—but I’m definitely not interested in those old-school, cliché bouquets sitting on the tables... I want those tall, dramatic martini glass arrangements with the flowers inside. Does anyone know a spot where I can pull this off without the prices hitting the stratosphere?

Joshua Hughes8 said:Well, I have a completely different quote from Siniša!!!!! In none of my packages are parent albums included; they're listed in a separate price sheet and cost extra too!!!!! He also has three packages at the exact same price points, but without those albums

Papaya includes about 800 retouched photos from the whole party on a DVD, and my contract specifies they'll be edited. But Siniša isn't even offering the full set of photos from the event on a DVD—just the 200 printed ones. If you want the rest of the raw footage on a DVD, you have to pay extra, and then you'd have to pay again for the editing
Additional sessions are $63 per hour and all that, so I can't believe we're looking at two totally different quotes for the same year!!! 😕 🙄 🙄 How on earth is he sending out these quotes??? I sent you a private message, please check itdiv>

You wrote the same thing in your DM as Odi did. 🤣

Odi will reply soon! 😁

Basically, Siniša told me posing used to be $63, but now it's down to 150! 😁
He said parent albums are included in the second package. 😁
As for the edited photos, he said he'd edit 180... or maybe 200, 🤔 I forgot. I'm not sure what happens to the rest—if they go on a DVD or what—but I assume they at least put them on a DVD. 🤷
You also get 4 edited A4 prints.
That's all for the second package... $2167!

I don't have all the details yet. I'll know next week and let you know.

William Cook35 said:Anyone got a solid recommendation for a good florist in Miami? I’m looking to spruce up a restaurant—but I’m definitely not interested in those old-school, cliché bouquets sitting on the tables... I want those tall, dramatic martini glass arrangements with the flowers inside. Does anyone know a spot where I can pull this off without the prices hitting the stratosphere?

Honestly, almost everyone offers that style nowadays; it isn't exactly rocket science. Some girls were raving about the Hunter florist, so you might want to check them out. 🤷

Douglas King said:You wrote the same thing in your DM as Odi did. 🤣

Odi will reply soon! 😁

Basically, Siniša told me posing used to be $63, but now it's down to 150! 😁
He said parent albums are included in the second package. 😁
As for the edited photos, he said he'd edit 180... or maybe 200, 🤔 I forgot. I'm not sure what happens to the rest—if they go on a DVD or what—but I assume they at least put them on a DVD. 🤷
You also get 4 edited A4 prints.
That's all for the second package... $2167!

I don't have all the details yet. I'll know next week and let you know.

Then it's pretty obvious he isn't giving everyone the same deal... just the other day, I received an offer from him identical to the one I described above 😕 He sent over a price list along with some additional pricing options, with his email attaching the full list. Honestly, it feels completely unprofessional!!!!

My recommendation goes to Papaya. The shots feel incredibly spontaneous; as you scroll through them, you get this genuine sense of being right there in the middle of the crowd
and even though they aren't your own photos and have nothing to do with you personally, there is a certain enjoyment in just looking at them.
You see people caught in motion, mid-dance... watching them, I can almost feel the atmosphere from that wedding.
That’s really all there is to say about the photography, and the cameraman is a class of his own. A true legend.
The guys are excellent, and I suppose you shouldn't bother chasing after the top-tier pros!

I’m feeling the same way about Siniša's offer as I did with Stellaris... I honestly can't tell if it's just me, but it feels a little unprofessional. I'm still weighing my options regarding the studio, but at least the band is officially booked. We listened to the male and female vocals for Apocalypse 😉, and we didn't have to think twice about it. The price is reasonable, and they were incredibly friendly and easy to talk to 😉

😍
Hey ladies, so I finally tied the knot this past Saturday, and honestly? It was everything I pictured in my head and more. 😉 To give you the highlights, we had the Pink Panther playing, and they were absolutely incredible—they had the entire ballroom on their feet from the very first song. We basically didn't stop dancing. Our photographer, Siniša Srdanović, was such a great guy, super easy to talk to; we haven't seen the full set yet, but I caught a glimpse of my friend's shots and they look stunning. Our videographer, Mr. Matic, was also top-tier. Once I actually get my hands on the photos, I’ll post a few here so you can all see. We also had the Krakun choir singing during the ceremony, and those guys really delivered. They played "my villa" for the entrance, and let me tell you... you can probably imagine how many of us started sobbing right then and there. 🤣
I hope everyone has a day as wonderful as ours was, and that you all have the best time ever!!!!

Fixed, now I just need to pick a photographer. I honestly can't decide between California Photo or Papaya. I see most of you guys here are leaning towards Papaya, but man, this is such a tough call for me.
I’d really appreciate any advice you all have 🙂

Greetings.
I have a question:
Has anyone ever actually had a band or a photography crew bring them a gift, flowers, or anything like that?
You pay them their full fee and dinner, yet they don't even bring "a single flower."